The Decider
by AndSoTheStarsSwallowedMeWhole
Summary: Fortunes can change your path, and knowing what your future holds can be very off-putting. Ed and Al are about to find out just how true that statement is in a tale of action, romance, and humor. Semi-slow burn. OC pairing. Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. R&R please!
1. The Fortune

"I don't know what to tell you alchemist, the books won't be back until tomorrow. You're going to have to wait," the library's keeper said down to him. She kept her head up and was looking down her nose at him. "You should be so lucky to receive them anyway, they aren't playthings you know. Now go run around outside or whatever it is you do."

Edward couldn't tell whether that comment was directed at the fact that he was a state alchemist or so young. Either way it was not appreciated, "Oh that's exactly what I'll do ma'am." He grinned at her in a way he hoped she would register as sarcastic, before turning his back on the joyless woman.

Outside, on the steps of the library's entrance, Ed looked around for his brother. _How do I lose him when he's over 7 foot tall?_ He'd been asking himself that quite a lot these days. It seemed the more involved in state work he got, the more his brother was disappearing. He felt bad his brother couldn't get into some of the places he had to go; clearance protocols often left Alphonse outside every building, office, and meeting his brother had to go to.

"Al?" Ed gave a call. No response, of course. Not knowing which direction Al could've gone, the older Elric brother chose a random direction. Walking for a while he ended up in what looked like a poorer part of Central. It hit him that he hadn't really explored the city besides going from government building to government building. Besides that, he only really went to his "home" and out for food. It seemed kind of pathetic now that he was thinking about it.

He shrugged off the thought, they had too much to do to be strolling around checking out all the tourist traps. Speaking of tourist traps, he realized that he had wandered into some sort of street market. He realized people in this area seemed overall happier, despite being in the more decrepit part of town, people everywhere were smiling at him. Maybe they were just trying to sell their products; he was a state alchemist, they probably knew he had money.

About to turn around, he spotted something in an alleyway between a flower shop and a psychic's shop. That last one made him roll his eyes as he made his way into the darker area between the two buildings.

It was a light brown cloth in the alley. He felt stupid for having thought it was something important. He gave it a light kick off to the side and froze. There, underneath the cloth was a transmutation circle. It wouldn't have surprised him to see a circle in the city, plenty here knew alchemy, but the circle's symbols were too precise and intricate to be a novice. The transcription hinted at a lesser part, like this was not the main or complete circle. To see such a circle out here was disconcerting to say the least.

He scraped his foot across the chalk to break the circle and used his foot to cover it back up with the cloth.

Thoughts buzzing around in his head, Ed turned back towards the hustle and bustle of the market. There seemed to be a bigger commotion than usual and he saw why as soon as he passed the first stand. His giant suit of armor of a brother was trying to, unsuccessfully, make his way down the market. Ed could just make out the metallic ring of what his brother was saying.

"No! I'm not him! I'm _looking_ for the fullmetal alchemist! He's blond and wearing a bright red cloak, the lady said he went down this way! Please!"

Ed gave a chuckle at the desperation in his brother's voice. His misplaced fans weren't listening to what Al said for whatever reason and just kept asking for autographs.

"Hey Al!" Ed called from his spot down the street, "Stop stealing my fans!"

The gathered group all turned to the source of the loud voice as Al called in relief, "Brother!"

The usual parade of comments came forth about how he was too young and too short to be the fullmetal alchemist.

A deep anger filled him as it always did at the comments, "Who are you calling so small they couldn't swim their way out of a kitchen sink?!"

Silence followed the outburst, quickly followed by more comments of how he was _obviously_ too temperamental to be the infamous full metal alchemist they had all heard about.

Another yell of hysteria was on the tip of Ed's tongue as Al finally made his way over to him.

"Brother! Don't start another argument with any more citizens!" Al admonished with a literal wag of his finger.

"I'm not the one with the judgmental comments!" Ed seethed, hackles raised and fists clenched.

"Well they don't know you, so just ignore them," Al said with a comforting pat on Ed's shoulder.

"Easier said than done," Ed grumbled before grabbing his brother's large arm, "Come on, I need your thoughts on this."

Al stared down at the smudged transmutation circle.

"Brother, this looks powerful. Was it like this when you found it?"

"Nope, I broke the circle. Hope no one comes back for it, but even if they don't, they know how to make it. We need to keep our eyes out."

Al nodded and thought for a second, "Maybe we should check with the neighboring stores? See if they were the ones to draw it? Or maybe they know who did?"

A proud smile came across Ed's face, "Good plan Al!"

Al couldn't smile back in the armor, but he was happy as could be on the inside. They checked with the friendly pink flower shop first. The owner, Molly, hadn't seen anything and didn't seem to have any real comprehensive knowledge about alchemy.

"Do we have to go into this freak show shop?" Ed whined in front of the psychic store, always the cynic.

"Don't say that Ed! Psychic's make people feel better! They're there to calm people's worries and doubts about the future that's all!"

"We've dealt with everything that life has thrown our way, other people should too. You can't tell me you believe in this crap?"

"It's not about what _we_ believe. It's about what others believe. To make them feel better."

Ed gave a scoff before pushing the door to the shop open. A little bell near the top of the door set off a shrill ring as they stepped through. The front of the shop was well lit with various trinkets and books, but the back was dimly lit with various quirky objects lying about.

"Hello?" Ed called. Even that single word was enough to sound sardonic coming from him.

"Just a minute! Please make yourselves comfortable!" a female voice called from behind a curtain.

 _Typical_ , Edward thought as he made his way over to the books. The Psychology of Psychics. Sage: 1000 Ways of Use. Alkahestry: The Sister to Alchemy. Alchemy of Essence.

An eyebrow raised as the single thought _Atypical,_ ran through his mind. _What is this hack doing with Alchemy books?_

Before he could deduce an answer from any of the leather-bound books, a curtain could be heard swinging open.

Ed looked up to see what he could only guess was the psychic. With a flourish of her hand she was beckoning him over to where Al already sat.

The giant suit of armor looked kind of ridiculous sitting on big cushy floor pillows, and Ed had to stop himself from laughing.

Al was surprised at the grin on his brother's face as he approached the low table. It made him worry that he was going to say or do something to disrespect the psychic. "Uhh.. my name is Alphonse! And this is my brother Edward! He's a state alchemist!"

He hoped the distraction would make Ed not do or say anything stupid.

"A state alchemist huh?" She gave him a look up and down as he plopped unceremoniously into the surprisingly soft cushion. He sat with a grimace on his face, waiting for some comment about his height or age.

A small smile came onto her face as she contemplated something, "Well it's nice to meet you Alphonse. Edward."

She nodded at each of them as she pulled out a large trunk from up against the wall beside them. She popped the loud latches open as she propped it open and turned back to them with an aggressive smile, "I'm Amina, your psychic for the day."

"Actually, we've come to your shop for a different reason. We wanted to ask you some questions."

"Oh." The smile dropped as she realized they weren't customers. Along with her smile, the trunk's lid dropped with a loud bang as it closed shut. The latches closed themselves again, without any assistance from Amina. Ed eyed the odd sight, but assumed it was a trick trunk. Something to amuse her clients.

The smile returned, but it was much tighter than before, "Please, ask away."

"There was an alchemic transmutation circle outside your shop, in the alleyway. Did you put it there?" Ed asked, noticing her change in body position.

She drew a deep breath, and looked between the two boys, "State business?"

Ed cleared his throat as he scratched the back of his head. She was making him nervous, she had been watching the both of them excruciatingly close since she had come through the curtain, "Technically… no."

No emotion passed on her face, which he now realized was a very young one.

"How old are you?" The question slipped out of his mouth before he could help it. His hand came back to sit in his lap as a wave of embarrassment rolled over him. He wasn't here to ask personal questions. He was here to figure out where that circle had come from!

"How about... We trade? Tit for tat."

The question was accompanied by a gleam in her eye as she leaned forward. Edward didn't know if she had meant to ask that in coordination with the gesture, but either way he couldn't help his eyes flickering down for a second.

Clearing his throat again, Ed became very aware that Al was in the room with them.

"Sure," was all he could muster up.

"Great!" she grinned at him as she popped her trunk open again.

Ed glanced at Al to see if he had noticed his momentary lack of concentration. Al was watching her unpack various items, and from the side, or even the front really, Ed couldn't decipher anything. He wore a mask of indifference… almost like a… mask.

Damn his armored face! Trying to focus in on what the girl was dragging out he realized it was all of her psychic gimmick items.

"Woah I thought we were clear, we're not customers!"

"Yes, but my tit for tat is one reading for as many honestly-answered questions as you'd like!"

A seemingly genuine smile crossed her face and Ed was getting the impression that none of her smiles were the same.

"That seems fair!" Al pitched in, a little too excited at the prospect of a reading for Ed's taste.

"Wonderful! Shall we start with the hands?" Amina asked with her own two hands extended.

Al immediately straightened up as he realized this wasn't going to work, "Uh.. you see I can't just take my armored glove off, I'd have to take off all my armor, is there another way?"

"Gloves will be fine. It won't affect my reading," a reassuring smile accompanied her words this time.

Ed, knowing she was just going to make some vague guesses at their past and some even more vague guesses towards their future, nodded for his brother to continue.

They each gave a hand to her, Ed's left and Al's right.

She took ahold of both of them and it seemed that the lights dimmed even further, Ed couldn't make out more than a meter in front of him. Amina's black hair would have been nearly invisible to him if it wasn't for the bright scarf she had intertwined throughout it.

A candle she had pulled out of the trunk earlier had lit itself on the table.

Ed rolled his eyes at the gimmick, but Al seemed entranced in what was going on around them. Amina's breathing picked up and her eyes slammed shut. She sat like that for a moment. Her grip on each of them tightened; Al gave a gasp as she did this.

"Ed she-" Al started to say before being cut off by Amina dropping both of their hands on the table unceremoniously.

Her eyes shot open to look at nothing. From the candlelight, Ed could see tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I-" she tried to start.

She shook her head and tried again, "I can't believe…"

Ed leaned forward in curiosity, "What?"

Had she actually seen anything? Ed couldn't tell but he was now becoming worried, less skeptical. _Maybe she could cry on command?_ He needed answers, now to more than just the one question.

Her head dropped into her hands as she wept silently.

"What is it?" Ed asked a little too abrasively.

"Brother!" Al admonished him.

Ed gave his brother a look before returning to slightly glaring at the psychic.

Amina dried her eyes and looked up at the both of them, "You both, have been through so much. The turmoil you're each facing daily is unimaginable."

Ed's glare only intensified, "You could say that about anybody and have a 50% chance it's right. The waterworks are a good addition though, I'll give you that."

Al remained quiet, waiting in anticipation for Amina's response.

She merely looked at him. The fact that she wasn't directly answering anything right away was unnerving Ed and pissing him off.

"You're right I could, but I don't. You can believe me or not believe me, but you need to let go of your guilt. He doesn't feel that way, he doesn't blame you. He couldn't."

Ed paused, his eyes finally widening out of their glare, "What are you talking about? What did you see?"

Al turned to look at his brother in surprise. That was one of the only times he hadn't sounded skeptical or cynical of the girl before them. He didn't know why what she had said had that reaction, he didn't even know what it meant outright, but his brother was acting out of the ordinary. Wondering if he should tell Ed what he had felt now or after they leave, Al faced the girl again.

Amina ignored him and turned to face Al, "And you. You're not in there, are you Alphonse?"

She gripped his still outstretched hand in both of hers, and he gave another gasp, "H-how do you know that?"

"I can feel it. Just like I felt that Edward has two automail limbs. Just like I felt what the both of you have been through."

Ed and Al turned to look at one another. For once, Ed had no words. Amina dropped Al's glove more gently onto the table. Al made a move to hold her hands again, but she had already moved to stand. She turned the lights up to full brightness and sat back down wearily.

"I'm sixteen by the way, to answer your question from earlier."

Ed's patience was non-existent as he exploded on the girl, "What the hell kind of game are you trying to play here?"

No one would have told a random psychic about his past, not anybody that knew about it. How the hell did she know. Psychics weren't based in any real science or fact.

"My livelihood is not a game," she nearly growled at him in anger, "Your inability to understand does not give you a pass to insult me."

Ed rarely didn't understand things, and when he didn't he did everything in his power to figure it out. It's who he was and it was why he was there today. He didn't know how to backtrack from how cynically he had behaved, but he wanted to figure out what she had done.

He didn't get a chance to even try to backtrack, she was already talking.

"There was a man. Yesterday. I was getting fruit from Lo's down the way, and when I came back I saw him crouched over in the alleyway. He had dark hair in a ponytail and he was wearing a trench coat. I only saw his back. Now we're even."

She spoke with finality and made to stand, but Ed was having none of it, "We're not leaving here until you tell us what you did and how you did it. How did you know those things about us?"

"Would you even believe me if I told you Edward?"

She seemed to be going back and forth between being exhausted at dealing with another cynic, and nearly crying from remembering what they've been through.

Ed didn't know how to answer that. He figured he would be more willing to listen to her now, after what she had said about them. He didn't know how she knew it, but he knew something she had done had to be legit. She couldn't fake knowing about their bodies' unnatural conditions.

"Well tell me and I'll see," Ed demanded putting his hands on the table.

Amina gave an enormous yawn that she tried and failed to cover with her small hand, "Come back tomorrow. You both wore me out."

Standing up, she clicked a button before walking through the curtain she had come from.

Ed sat there with his mouth open in shock at how rude she was to just leave them there without answering any of their questions. To say he was miffed would be an understatement. Before he could say anything to Al, the girl stuck her head back out of the curtain.

"Oh, and bring money next time."

She was gone again before she could hear the colorful curses he was spewing her way.

 **A/N: I will always keep these at the bottom and try to keep them short. I have a thorough plot in mind (and partially written), meaning yes Amina's 'sight' will coincide with this world's logic by my standards at the very least. Also, I love writing this story so far, so please review to help motivate me to finish it!**

 **~AndSo**


	2. Interrogation

That night, Ed's dreams were filled with odd transmutation circles and girls with dark wavy hair. Needless to say, it was a very fitful sleep for him. When he woke the next morning at the crack of dawn, he found his brother in the living room contemplating something.

Usually Al greeted his older brother enthusiastically in the morning, relieved to have company again, but this morning he remained silent. He didn't know how to tell Ed about what he experienced the day before. He didn't even know if he _should_ tell Ed about it. A look over at his brother muttering grumpily to himself while searching for leftovers in the adjacent kitchen only reinforced his desire to stay quiet.

Ed was already annoyed with the situation and the psychic that put them there, Al didn't want to make it worse by telling him that she had made him _feel_ something yesterday.

He didn't mean that figuratively. Al had _literally_ felt her hands on his hand yesterday. He didn't know how it was possible, but after not having felt anything for roughly 4 years since their attempt at human transmutation, he was shaken at the feelings he had yesterday. The prospect of Amina being able to help them get their bodies back was undeniable after what he had experienced with her already. She gave him hope that there was something they could do to return to normal. Already Al wanted to return to the girl in order to feel something again.

If he had his human body, he would have blushed at the way that sounded. He wasn't trying to be creepy or anything, he just missed the sensation of being human. And this was the first sliver of humanity he had had in years, there was no way he was going to just sit back and let his embarrassment keep him from this.

They both milled around for the better part of the morning, halfheartedly guessing at what Amina had done to result in the previous day's events. They would normally be looking into it eagerly, but this was a scenario where they really didn't have anything to go off of. They just had to be patient, and the brothers tended to handle that particular virtue very poorly.

Once it was a more acceptable time to show up on someone's doorstep demanding answers the brothers headed out towards the shop for the second time.

Ed forced the door open, making the bell react as expected. Today, Amina was waiting for them, already sitting down at the low table.

She turned to them with fresh eyes, not bothering to smile. She knew she was in for an interrogation.

"Boys," she said in way of greeting.

"Hi Amina." Al said enthusiastically, as Ed said nothing and trudged over to her table.

Amina smiled at that, "Hi Alphonse."

"You can just call me Al!"

Ed gave an incredulous look to his brother. _What the hell is he so chipper for?_

"Only if you call me Mina!" she said not losing her smile.

"O-okay!" Al said hesitantly but happily.

Amina turned towards Ed and gave a small sigh, "No pleasantries from you I guess?"

He rolled his eyes to the side, avoiding eye contact, "Ed," he said shortly as a gruff truce for the moment.

Her smile morphed into a grin and she nodded her head at him, "Ed."

She paused, looking between the two and realizing there was nothing left to say she leaned back and folded her arms casually, "What do you want to know?"

Ed sat up further, "How did you know about us? About our past?"

Both brothers leaned in as she drew in a breath, "I saw it."

"You _saw_ it?" Ed asked, sounding both incredulous and sarcastic.

"Yup," she said popping the 'p', already annoyed with his attitude again, "Saw it. With my eyes. On the backs of my eyelids."

"How?" Ed asked harshly at the same time his brother asked excitedly.

With a sigh and an eye roll towards the ceiling, Mina gave her answer, "I'm psychic. Like actually, none of that cookie cutter guesswork for me."

Ed, back to his frustration from yesterday almost growled out, "But _how_? People aren't just _psychic_! It's make believe! Tricks!"

With his frustration came hers, "Well _I_ am okay? It's not tricks or alchemy or drugs, I can sense things from people, I have always been able to! If you want the facts on how go find someone who knows because I sure as hell don't!"

Al, trying to keep the peace raised his armored hands up and shook them, "We believe you okay! We just want to figure out why you have these… these powers. If there's some way we could use them to get our bodies back then we need to know!"

"Alphonse!" Ed snapped, glaring over at his brother. They didn't need some random girl's help to solve _their_ problem.

Al became more aggressive at his brother's outburst, "Brother! She already knows! And if she can help us or point us in the right direction then we need to-"

"This is our problem not anyone else's!"

"I'm not saying it's her problem! I'm saying she could help us fix-"

Al was cut off again, "That's enough Al!"

Amina's voice cut through the beginnings of their argument, "I want to help."

The brothers both looked her way. Seeing that Ed was about to protest again, Mina didn't give him the chance, "I want to help, I just don't know how. I don't know how I got these 'powers' as you call them, but if I can help you I will."

Ed's eyes were narrowed so heavily into a glare that Al was worried he was going to pop a blood vessel.

"Why would you want to help us? You don't even know us."

"I know what you've been through, and that's enough. What you've been through is awful," she said staring directly into his eyes. The steady gaze unnerved the eldest Elrich; he looked away.

"We did it to ourselves. And we don't need the pity of someone like _you_."

Al began to scold his brother, but Mina beat him to it, "And I don't need the cynical asshole-ry that is _you_. Besides I want to know why I'm like this just as much as you guys. _More_. If I can find out with you then I'll help any way I can."

She seemed to be serious, and Ed noted that she held a tone of desperation hidden in her voice.

"Who's to say we can help with that?" Ed asked, still skeptical.

"You're a state alchemist aren't you? You have access to information I could never dream of getting, maybe- maybe something in all that can tell me why I'm like this!"

Both the brother's were reminded of why Ed became a state alchemist in the first place. They couldn't exactly deny the validity of the fact that he _did_ have access to much more in depth and restricted information. Ed just couldn't tell if she had any other motives for helping them and he didn't feel comfortable agreeing to anything with her without knowing that. She currently knew a lot about them and they knew next to nothing about her.

"We'll need to talk about this. Letting you have access to restricted works is technically an abuse of my status. That, coupled with the fact that we don't know you, means we'll need time to decide."

A single dark eyebrow lifted, "What, you want me to leave the room?"

Al thought the incredulous look on his brother's face was hilarious, but tired of not getting a say in things and eager to actually discuss the matter with his brother, Al stepped in, "We'll go and come back. Probably tonight or tomorrow, okay?"

To stop his brother from getting into another heated discussion with either of them, Al grabbed hold of Ed's arm and twisted it subtly into leaving, "We'll be back later! See you soon Mina!"

Mina, surprised with the turn of events, managed a small distracted wave as she watched Ed fume at his brother about manners.

This might be her shot at figuring out how she could do the things she could do. Mina didn't know how she was so lucky as to have these two brothers fall into her lap, but she wasn't about to waste a good resource, and she was willing to help them with everything she had.

Sitting up from her perched spot on the low chair she went to her stuffed bookcase to see what information could potentially help the two brothers in their journey.

 **A/N: To clarify in regard to a review: Amina is full-blooded Amestrian. She is not from our world. Chapters will vary in length and be posted at minimum biweekly on Saturdays. In the summer if I have more time I will aim for weekly, still on Saturdays. Thanks to BloodPokemon101 for the review! Please review so I can know your thoughts/ideas!**

 **~AndSo**


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